Mumbai Students indulge in moral policing

The seafront at Bandra’s Bandstand promenade, a hotspot for couples and often tagged as a ‘lovers’ point’, offered a surprising view to passers-by on Monday evening. A group of about 70 college students had organised a rally, holding placards that read – ‘Kuch toh sharam karo, yeh sab apne ghar pe karo’ and ‘Girlfriend ke saath kar rahe ho jurm, go get a room’.

The students of the Rotaract Clubs of the Usha Pravin Gandhi (UPG) College, Vile Parle and Hinduja College, Charni Road, took up the role of moral police as they accosted couples sitting at the promenade and asked them to refrain from public displays of affection (PDA).

The initiative was part of their campaign ‘Behind Closed Doors’ on the occasion of International Youth Day which is observed by the United Nations on August 12.

“We would like to frequent places such as Bandstand or Marine Drive but prefer not to because it is full of people indulging in embarrassing displays of affection,” said Palak Kapadia, 17, a first year media student of UPG College.

“We are not against couples, but only against those indulging in PDA which makes others uncomfortable. They should instead get rooms and do it in privacy,” she said.

The students of these clubs of the two colleges have been organising an anti-PDA rally for the last two years, the first one held at Marine Drive, and the second one at Bandstand last year.

The group plans to hold a similar rally at Marine Drive this Sunday.

Several couples were seen leaving the place after being surrounded by the protesting students.

While some chose not to comment on the campaign, some felt they were being targeted for no reason.

The students had sought permission for the rally from the Bandra police, and two constables kept watch during the campaign.